Jster
Exploring the pasture
We got two very sweet does about a week ago. They are six months old. According to their chest measurement, they're about sixty pounds, but they seem to be somewhat lean condition from what I've been reading. According to their previous owners, they were kept with chickens. Their food was not measured but just thrown on the ground and they had to get it before the chickens did. They had eaten anything edible in the yard so did not get to forage. I asked after we got them about hay, because I realized they hadn't mentioned it. We have some coastal hay from our own chickens nest boxes, but I realized they may not have been getting any. She said they had given them hay but that the goats hadn't been interested. Oh, and they fed them a mix of goat chow and oats, with much more oats than chow. And they had not trimmed their hooves at all in the four months they had them, so the goats definitely need some attention and I don't think these owners really put much effort into learning how to care for them.
Here's some pictures of our beautiful and sweet girls for your evaluation:
So, my questions are:
Do you think the girls are underweight?
What is the best way to help them get to a healthy weight?
I know not to change their diet quickly, but how slowly can I get them off this oat/chow mix into something better?
How much should I feed them every day...they act starving! (Oh, and they have plenty of lush pasture, an acre fenced that they live in and more when they are in the rest of the yard with us.)
Thanks in advance!
Here's some pictures of our beautiful and sweet girls for your evaluation:
So, my questions are:
Do you think the girls are underweight?
What is the best way to help them get to a healthy weight?
I know not to change their diet quickly, but how slowly can I get them off this oat/chow mix into something better?
How much should I feed them every day...they act starving! (Oh, and they have plenty of lush pasture, an acre fenced that they live in and more when they are in the rest of the yard with us.)
Thanks in advance!